What American Craft Beer Week Has Inspired We are living in the golden age of American craft beer. You needn’t look any further than the number of bars featuring artisanal beers and the number of breweries rising up across these 50 states to know that craft beer culture is strong. On a daily basis, consumers identify with numerous brands and eagerly seek out offerings from their countless breweries, building loyalty with an overall movement just as much as with specific brands. In 2006, the Brewers Association took what was formerly …
BACKDOOR SLIDER
DRY-HOPPED SOUR ABV 5.2% IBU 7 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Vienna Hops: Santiam, Citra A “backdoor slider” is a deceptive pitch that starts outside the strike zone but then catches the back corner of the plate. Backdoor Slider is a simple sour ale that leads with Citra hops into a tart finish, with a touch of wheat crackers.
EL DOPA
PALE ALE ABV 6.9% IBU 17 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Crystal, Flaked Oats Hops: Bravo, Cascade, Goldings, Crystal, Meridian A relatively strong (“double”) pale ale brewed with flaked oats, which account for the softer, fuller mouthfeel and the hazy appearance. El Dopa has a restrained bitterness with an intense herbal, floral, almost tea-like flavor and aroma. Incidentally, the name is an acronym for Double Oatmeal Pale Ale. And it is also a play on the naturally occurring biochemical L-DOPA, which makes you and me happy.